mailorder, mail order  Currently (and historically) the
predo-minant marketplace for syngraphic collectibles. This extensive sub-ject is clearly
beyond the scope of this dictionary. Fortunately, there is a book available on this
subject: How To Buy And Sell Collectors Items (Stamps, Coins, Papermonies & Other
Collectibles) Profitably By Mail. Ask for a descriptive flyer from: M Tiitus, Forest
City IA 50436-0008 USA.

major variety  See: variety and varieties, minor

Malagasy Republic  Official name for Madagascar used
briefly during the 1970s.

Malgache  Malagasy, in French.

mandate (issues)  The issues for a country or territory held
in mandate, ie, controlled, by another country as a result of war, or in trust while
awaiting a peace treaty. Also, the area so administered.

manuscript  Hand written, in Latin. Also, something written
or typed which is presented to an editor or a publisher for approval. In syngraphics, a
fancy word for describing a hand written signature, date or serial number on a
note, commonly with an ink pen.

margin  The empty or blank area, if any, outside the border,
qv, of a note or or stamp. Uneven margins, particularly if the left and right margins, are
displeasing to the discriminating eye. Try to visualize a note or stamp you have seen that
did not have a margin. See also: border, frame.

Maroc  Morocco, in Moroccan (Arabic).

mc  Multicolor(ed), a priclist abbreviation.

measurements  Measurements of paper documents are always
given in millimeters, the horizontal dimension preceding the vertical [HxVmm]. Landscape
format has H>V. Portrait format has H<V. Unless specified otherwise, the size
of a note is the size of the paper, not any aspect of its design, eg, the frame.
See also: size.

medium of exchange  The most general name for things or
services exchanged, including money, credit, hours of labor, etc, etc, indeed anything of
value.

medium of payment  Anything of value accepted as
payment for other values rendered. A somewhat narrower term than medium of exchange,
inasmuch as the creditor may refuse certain media which he did not expect to be offered
and/or cannot use. Sometimes the creditor has no choice, eg, a prisoner-of-war given POW
scrip.

memorandum check(s)  Checks used internally by a bank to
fa-cilitate accounting re customers debits such as service charges, etc.

military chits  Chits, usually in several small
denominations, issued to military personnel, spendable in lieu of cash at officers clubs,
NCO clubs, etc.

military currency  Currency issued solely for the use of
military personnel. The objective is to avoid jeopardizing the nation's regular currency.
In case of war, moneys could fall into the hands of enemy forces. In an occupied
territory, the danger is black marketeering.

Military Payment Certificate(s)  USA military currency issued
for use only in USA military establishments. New series of such notes have been introduced
at various times without warning, with all troops being confinded to camp for the
lightning changeover. Thus, unauthorized holders were left with worthless paper.

millimeter  One thousanth of a meter. Approximately 25.4mm
equals one inch. Stamp and note measurements, and coin diameters, are always given in mm.

MIM  Magnetic Ink Mark(s), an abbreviation.

Ming notes  Large Chinese notes of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644), printed on paper made from the bark of a mulberry tree. Probably the earliest
papermoney specimen still available to collec-tors today.

miniature sheet  A single stamp or block of stamps with a
margin on all sides bearing some special wording or design. See also: souvenir sheet.

minor variety  See: variety, and varieties, minor.

mismatched serial numbers  A note with a serial number
appearing twice (or possibly more times, in rare instances), with at least one mismatched
digit between them. Clearly a collectible printing error.

missing serial numbers  Ostensibly a printing error, but not
very collectible since serial numbers on many modern notes are easily removed with a soft
eraser and a modicum of patience in avoiding damage to paper fibers.

mm  Millimeter(s), a universal abbreviation. Stamp and note
measurements, and coin diameters, are always given in mm.

mishandled  A collectible whose condition, or grade, has been
reduced by poor handling rather than normal wear.

misprint  A note or stamp containing an error distinctly
traceable to the printing process. For example, mismatched serial numbers, missing colors,
etc, are misprints, or misprint errors. Errors traceable to the design process,
such as misspellings in the text or errors in design, are design errors, or simply
errors.

mistake  A minor error, qv. An error in composition,
such as a misspelled word.

moeda  Money, coin, in Portugese.

moneda  Money, coin, in Spanish.

Monera  A class of protozoans without definite structure and
without any recognizable nucleus. The moral: Not everything that sounds like money, is.

money  Any medium of exchange reckoned in terms of definite
or indefinite numbers. A most generic term, it includes papermonies, coins, checks, bank
accounts, gold dust and bullion of known weight, credit of all kinds, etc, etc. By
extension then, papermoney is the most generic term for money made of paper.

moneyer  Banker. Capitalist. An authorized coiner of money.
All are obsolete definitions. Yes, but could we use it to coin paper moneyer?
Naaah! Syngraphist still sounds better.

money grubber  Webster: A person who concentrates his
energies on the acquiring of money. Hmm...I'd much prefer to be referred to as a
syngraphist, qv.

money order  An order for the payment of a specified sum of
money, as one issued for a fee by a post office or bank, and payable at another without a
fee.

Montgomery Notes  Confederate States of America notes of 1861
issued in Montgomery, Alabama, the first capital of The Confederacy.

Mormon scrip  Notes issued by the Mormon Church (aka, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in Salt Lake City, USA. The most common are
the Bishop's Store notes, issued in late 1890s, redeemable in agrarian commodities.

MPC  Military Payment Certificate(s), an acronym.

Muestra  Specimen, in Spanish.

mule  A note printed from two plates which were not intended
to be used together. Ergo, an error produced in the printing process. Also, a coin
produced with two dies not intended for each other.

multicolor(ed)  A note or stamp printed with more than two
inks. If printed with two inks, it is bicolored. Color of paper is not counted.

multidenominational  Having many denominations. Notes
denomi-nated in more than two currencies to facilitate exchange. Notes denominated
in two denominations are bidimensional.

multilingual  In many languages. Notes, stamps, etc, which
incorporate more than two languages. Examples include USSR, India, etc. Items which
incorporate two languages, eg, Canada, Belgium, etc, are bilingual.

multiverse  Is there more than one universe? Do we live in a
multiverse? If yes, and if each universe requires a God to operate it, do these Gods get
together occasionally over coffee to compare notes? Are They even interested in
syngraphics? Well, it seems like such a divine hobby...